Pakistan refutes the Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s distortion of facts about the Istanbul discussions.

On Saturday, Pakistan dismissed the Afghan Taliban spokesperson’s “deliberate distortion of facts” concerning the recent Istanbul discussions, asserting that the Afghan remarks are deceptive and inconsistent with the actual record.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated on X (previously Twitter) that the remarks made by the Afghan spokesperson misrepresented the realities of the conversation.

It reaffirmed that Pakistan’s position was unequivocal, consistent, and thoroughly recorded.

The ministry asserted that Pakistan requested the control or apprehension of terrorists located in Afghanistan who pose a threat to its security.

“Upon the Afghan assertion that those individuals were Pakistani nationals, Islamabad promptly suggested their transfer via designated border crossings, consistent with its enduring stance,” it stated.

The statement further asserted, “Any contrary claim is false and misleading.”

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that Pakistan’s stance on the matter allowed for “no ambiguity.”

He emphasised that any instance of deception or misleading assertion regarding Pakistan was intolerable.

The clarification ensued after Zabihullah Mujahid’s remarks to a private news outlet, when he asserted that during the Istanbul discussions, Kabul proposed to expel those deemed security concerns by Islamabad, a suggestion he claimed Pakistan had rejected.